Thor as it is called in Bengali is actually actually the inner part of the of the Banana stem. The outer thick fibrous parts of the stem of the banana plant which surrounds the central part are thrown away and only the slender white part in the center, called Thoar in Bengali, is used. The stem is crunchy and has a mild taste, a bit like the bamboo shoots. Just like the Fruit the stem is rich in Potassium and vitamin B and dietary fibers. It is used to make curries and stir fry, many like to have the juice of the banana stem for health benefits.
What is available at the vegetable vendor is a white or cream coloured stem. There is a special way of cutting the Thoar.
You will need
A sharp knife
A cutting board
A bowl with some Mustard oil ( or any edible oil )
You need to apply oil on your fingers well before you start cutting or your fingers will get a dark stain. Also you have to be careful to not let it touch the clothes you are wearing.
Put the stem on the cutting board and slice it thin as possible. When slicing you will see threads or fibres coming out . You have to wind these around you fingers and throw it away . After you have a few slices, gather them together and chop them really small, for curries like Chapor Ghonto. When we use it in the Motor dal with Vegetables we use the thin round slices.
When we buy Banana stem or Thoor it looks like a white thick stick. I cut a portion of the stem in this photo. The soft inner part is surrounded by thick bract like structures. So first we peel off the bracts to get to the softer center which is the edible part.
Now slowly slice the edible part or Thoar as thin as possible, and as you slice you will see thread like fibers.
These fibers have to be removed as much as possible.
Pull the fibers gently or they will break. You may not find fibers in the very young stems. In that case just slice the Thoar.
Wrap the threads around your index fingers and keep it aside,or discard it.
Continue this way till you have sliced the whole stem.
Gather the slices in a small pile and chop them into small pieces, ( dice them small)
The Banana stem or thoor is now ready to be used in the curries and stir fries. Gather up the diced thoor in a bowl and wash before using.
